Black Jeera (Gota)

Kala jeera is a spice that is popular in Northern Indian cuisine. It is used to flavor meat and rice dishes, with a distinct rich, nutty, slightly grassy taste. This spice is also known as black cumin, which can be confusing, since several other seeds are also given the same name. Its scientific name of is Bunium persicum, which may help shoppers in doubt, and the seeds are small, dark brown, and crescent shaped, with a sharp, bitter odor before cooking or toasting.